1. Technical Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to a diagnostic X-ray radiographic system.
2. Related Art
A related art X-ray detector support apparatus is used in combination with an X-ray tube support apparatus for supporting an X-ray tube unit, and is designed to support an X-ray detector for detecting an X-ray transmitted through a subject after being emitted from the X-ray tube unit and converting the detected X-ray to an electrical signal. As one type of X-ray detector support apparatus, a related art X-ray detector support apparatus may be compatible with radiographic diagnosis in both standing and supine positions, as shown, for example, in FIGS. 7-9. FIG. 8 is an external view showing a manual operation panel of the detector support apparatus illustrated in FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a control unit of the detector support apparatus.
The detector support apparatus 2 illustrated in FIG. 7 comprises a detector holding frame 2A having an X-ray incident surface made of a material such as resin with low X-ray absorptivity. An X-ray detector 3, such as a flat panel-shaped detector, is inserted into and fixedly mounted to the detector holding frame 2A. The detector holding frame 2A includes a manual operation panel 10 fixedly mounted thereon, and a control unit 10P housed therein and including, for example, a microcomputer and a storage device.
When an operator engages a vertical/horizontal-position selector switch 10G (see FIG. 8) in the operation panel 10, the control unit 10P is operable to determine whether the detector holding frame 2A is in a vertical position or in a horizontal position, based on a detection signal from a vertical-position detection section 2N and a horizontal-position detection section 2P (see FIG. 9) housed in an arm 2B and comprising, for example but not by way of limitation, a micro switch. Then, the control unit 10P is operable to command a holding-frame drive section 2L housed in the arm 2B, to allow the detector holding frame 2A to be interchangeably adjusted between the horizontal position (indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 7) and the vertical position (indicated by the solid line in FIG. 7). According to this command, the holding-frame drive section 2L is operable to drive a holding-frame rotating mechanism 2M housed in the arm 2B so as to rotate the detector holding frame 2A about an axis of the arm 2B. Further detailed description of the respective mechanical structures of the detectors, the drive section and the rotating mechanism is omitted.
The detector support apparatus 2 is also designed to move the detector 3 in any of six directions along three orthogonal axes indicated by X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis in FIG. 7, while keeping the detector 3 in either one of the vertical and horizontal positions. More specifically, for the purpose of the X-axis directional movement, the arm 2B is formed in a telescopic structure, and incorporates an X-axis drive section 2E adapted to operate according to a command from the control unit 10P, and an arm stretching/retracting mechanism 2F adapted to be driven by the X-axis drive section 2E. For the purpose of the Y-axis directional movement, the arm 2B is supported by a support column 2C in a vertically movable manner, and incorporates a Y-axis drive section 2G adapted to operate according to a command from the control unit 10P, and an arm lifting/lowering mechanism 2H adapted to be driven by the Y-axis drive section 2G: For the purpose of the Z-axis directional movement, a base 2D holding the support column 2C is positioned to be movable along a rail 4 laid on a floor, and incorporates a Z-axis drive section 2J adapted to operate according to a command from the control unit 10P, and a support-column moving mechanism 2K adapted to be driven by the Z-axis drive section 2J. Further detailed description of the respective mechanical structures of these drive sections and these mechanisms is omitted.
X-ray image information output from the detector 3 in the form of an electrical signal is entered into an image processing unit (not shown) placed at a remote location, through a cable (not shown) extending through and from inner spaces of the arm 2B, the support column 2C and the base 2D, and a processed image is displayed on a monitor unit (not shown). Further detailed description of these structures is omitted.
The control unit 10P is operable, in response to engaging either one of push button switches 10A, 10B in the operation panel 10, to stretch or retract the arm 2B based on the X-axis drive section 2E and the arm stretching/retracting mechanism 2F. Further, the control of the control unit 10P is operable, in response to engaging either one of push button switches 10C, 10D, to lift or lower the arm 2B based on the Y-axis drive section 2G and the arm lifting/lowering mechanism 2H, and, in response to pushing either one of push button switches 10E, 10F, to move the support column 2C in either one of two directions along the rail 4 based on the Z-axis drive section 2J and the support-column moving mechanism 2K.
In the detector support apparatus 2 is designed to operate as disclosed above, regardless of whether the detector 3 is kept in the vertical position or in the horizontal position, a problem occurs. More specifically, in a detector support apparatus adapted to keep a detection plane of a detector in either one of vertical and horizontal positions, and to move the detector in six directions along three orthogonal axes, if a control circuit and a control program for a control unit are configured such that each of six push buttons for designating movement directions of the detector is fixedly associated with a correspond one of the six directions, and each of the movement directions is indicated on a corresponding one of the push buttons by means of marking (for example but not by way of limitation, engraved or punch mark), an operator has to select one of the push buttons while changing respective definitions of the movement directions fixedly indicated on the respective push buttons, depending on whether the detection plane is kept in the vertical position or in the horizontal position.
As a result, it is difficult to use the related art detector with desired user-friendliness. In this connection, one technique for solving a similar problem to the above is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 05-91993 (Patent Publication 1).